CAN A LIBERAL PUBLISH A NEWSPAPER IN TRUMP COUNTRY?
Former Wrangell Sentinel owner Larry Persily got his start in Alaska as the publisher of the Sentinel in 1976, and will be publisher once again of the 118-year-old newspaper.
Persily, of Anchorage, is buying the newspaper from owners Ron and Anne Loesch, who also publish the nearby Petersburg Pilot. The Loeschs have published the Wrangell paper for the past 17 years.
Persily has been in and out of the newspaper business for much of his career, including working as editorial page editor for the Anchorage Daily News and editor of the Juneau Empire, as well as publisher of a short-lived political weekly in Juneau. He publishes an oil-and-gas newsletter, but also is a man on a mission to save small-town newspapers in Alaska.
In April of 2019, Persily bought the Skagway News, and then essentially gave it away after searching for new owners who would be committed to living in Skagway as members of the community, which he believes is essential to community journalism.
Gretchen Wehmhoff, a Chugiak resident who in 2017 ran as a Democrat against Rep. Cathy Tilton in District 12, and Melinda Munson of Chugiak took over the Skagway News after winning over Persily and paying him $20.
[Read: Skagway News has new publishers]
Shortly after the women moved their families to Skagway, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the border to Canada was closed, so they were not able to get the newsprint edition of the newspaper produced at their Canadian printer. The Skagway News has been online only for months, and has struggled as a result.
Persily, who has also worked in politics, notably as the Federal Coordinator of the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects under the Obama Administration and as Deputy Commissioner of Revenue in the Gov. Tony Knowles Administration, was named the Atwood Chair of Journalism at the University of Alaska Anchorage for 2019-2020. In 2009-2010, he was an aide to Republican Rep. Hawker, R-Anchorage, who was House Finance Committee co-chair.
Although Persily is considered by many to be a liberal (he is a registered nonpartisan in Alaska), Wrangell is the heartbeat of Trump Country in the 49th State. The Wrangell precinct 36-690 cast 526 votes for President Donald Trump and 171 votes for Joe Biden in the recent election. In fact, during the recent campaign season, Trump signs, stickers, and MAGA swag were everywhere to be seen in the timber-mining-fishing town that sits in the heart of the Tongass National Forest.
Persily will take over the Sentinel in early 2021 and keep the current staff of two, according to the newspaper
“My wife and I started in Alaska journalism with the Sentinel in 1976, and it just feels right to buy the paper at this time and help build on its 118-year history,” Persily said of the ownership transfer, as quoted by the Sentinel and the Petersburg Pilot.
The Sentinel claims the title of Alaska’s oldest continuously published newspaper, launched in 1902 as the Alaska Sentinel. It has had 11 owners. Past publishers include former President of Alaska Airlines Charles Willis; Lew Williams Sr., former Ketchikan Daily News, Sitka Sentinel and Petersburg Press Publishers Dorothy and Lew Williams, Jr.; and Larry Persily and the late Leslie Murray.
I applaud Larry’s efforts to sustain small-town newspapers, which I also believe are vital for a healthy and active civic life. Let’s just hope that this latest effort of his does not devolved into the ugly reality of gross one-sided censorship, and opinion pieces and political activism masquerading as ‘news’, that his former Anchorage Daily News has become.
As a born and raised Wrangellite, I was living there when Larry and his wife, Leslie owned the Sentinel that they purchased from Jamie Bryson. During those years, although I was much younger then, I found the Persily’s to be very fair in their approach and they were involved and respected in the community. Being raised in a conservative family, I have no recollection of dinner table conflict based on politics as it related to their reporting. I have bumped into Larry from time to time ~ at a store, on an airplane, etc. ~ and those meetings have always been met with a smile and reminiscing of the good ole days in Wrangell.
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I congratulate Larry for attempting to breath life into our small town paper. Attempts to “lean” the paper will secure its demise. Even today when I visit, I always reach for mom’s stacks of Sentinel’s to catch up on the happenings around town. The “co-owned” approach with Petersburg didn’t set well with this reader. While we love our neighbors to the North, the news in the Sentinel was always ‘mingulated’ with the Pilot. Times have changed and it clearly isn’t what it once was; however, it is my hope that the Wrangell Sentinel, with the Three Frogs Totem proudly incorporated into its name, will remain the Oldest Continuously Published Newspaper in Alaska.
Yes, I worked for them part-time, and I remember lots of fun conversations with Larry and his east coast liberal schtick. Whatever his personal political feelings were, when it came to the paper, he was all about the news (the way it used to be). This is a good turn of events for Wrangell. Welcome back, Larry.
I completely agree with Merce, Larry & Leslie were a great aspect of the community during their Sentinel ownership and they were friends of my family who shared the dinner table on occasion. My parents were not liberal in any way and the conversations were never about “one side is better than the other” politically, they were civil, friendly and honest. I also have bumped into Larry multiple times while traveling around this state (pretty much always in Anchorage or Southeast airports), he has never forgotten a moment of his Wrangell relationships and he is always excited to catch up on everyone and to talk about his years living in Wrangell. He is and always will be a fellow “Wrangellite” and I believe he will put the hearts of all Wrangellite’s into the paper and keep it’s legacy going.
Mr. Persily is a rare and talented individual who always values good public policy in all things far above personal political leanings. Few know and appreciate Alaska’s economy and diverse socio-geographics as well as Larry. Godspeed with this latest venture. I suspect this publication may become another ‘Must Read’ for all Alaskans.
Congratulations Larry – “break a quill”. He is talented and fair-mined – an “old school” journalist with integrity. I wish the MRAK was reporting on Persily as the new Editor of the NYT or WaPo – they could use his wisdom and judgement. But as the Publisher of the Sentinel the people of Wrangell and Larry will be happier and better for it.
I am thrilled that Larry is again at the helm of the Sentinel. I remember when Larry and Leslie took over the newspaper like it was yesterday. Wrangell will benefit, as will Southeast Alaska overall, with Larry there.
I have always found Larry Persily to be fair and thorough. When and if we disagreed, he was always civil, and allowed me to express my opinion. I’m sure the fine folks in Wrangell will appreciate his return.
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